Flight Policies

RESERVATION POLICIES:

Reservations must be made for all flights unless otherwise agreed. If you are unsure if you have made a reservation, please contact us on 0208 953 0584.

CANCELLATION POLICY:

Cancellation and amendment policy is strictly 7 days for London Tours, and 48 hours for any flight training. If you cancel a tour within this time, you will forfeit your voucher. If you cancel a training flight, you may be charged a cancellation fee.

CHECK-IN:

Please check in for your flight at your given time. If you are unsure, contact us.

FACILITIES:

VVB Aviation has a waiting area available for students, families and friends. Tea and coffee may be available upon request. There is also a cafe in the main airfield area called Ikaron.

MEDICAL CONCERNS:

Please inform us if you have any medical conditions and you are taking a flight with us. We may also require emergency contact details before your flight.

FULL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Your booking may not be confirmed until final payment is made.

Weight Limit: Flights are subject to weight restrictions which are strictly applied for safety reasons. The limits are to do with the safety of the helicopter, and not controlled by us. We trust that the height and weight given to us is correct, but if we are in any doubt then we may need to check on the day to ensure the safety of yourself, other passengers and flight crew. Unfortunately there is no negotiation on these limits.

Late Arrivals: As all flights and schedules are highly regulated we regret that we are unable to fly guests that arrive past their allocated check in time. Please ensure that you are 100% aware of your check in time - if you are unsure then call us on 0208 953 0584. Please allow plenty of time when planning your journey so you arrive in time for your pre-flight briefing. Whilst we understand that there may be unforeseen traffic/delays on your route, it is your responsibility to arrive in time for your allocated check in time.

Belongings: No bags are permitted in the aircraft due to security reasons. Please leave any bags in your car or in the VVB building. VVB Aviation Services Ltd is in no way responsible for lost, missing, stolen or damaged personal items. If any belongings need to be left in a locker in the VVB building, then you may leave them there at your own risk.

Vouchers: Please bring your voucher with you so that we can confirm the code before your flight. If it is on your phone, then this is suitable.

Photos and Videos: Take as many photos as you like once you are in the helicopter! Email us your photos after your flight for a chance for them to feature on our Instagram, website or other media platforms. We respectfully ask that you do not use your phone/camera or any other device on the helipad when you are boarding, disembarking or outside the aircraft as the pilot and ground crew require your full attention at all times in the interest of safety.

Phones: Please make sure that your phone is on flight mode. When it searches for signal it can interfere with the radio and make it difficult for your pilot to speak with Air Traffic Control. As above, please do not use your phone when you are outside the helicopter on the active aerodrome.

Clothing: Please do not wear any high heels or loose items of clothing (hats, scarves, etc.). Religious items of clothing are of course not included in this restriction. Items that are dropped on the helipad may be blown away, and if they cause damage to other aircraft/property then you may be liable.

Hanger: Customers are politely asked to remain in the reception area upon arrival and not to enter the hanger unless with an authorised member of staff. Please watch out when you are walking into the hanger as there is a small step, and please do not touch any of the aircraft. If any there is any damage to aircraft, you may be liable to pay.

Medical Issues: We respectfully ask you to disclose all disabilities and/or significant medical conditions before the date of your flight, as unfortunately the flight may not be suitable for you. We will do our best to fly all guests however there are strict regulations that we must follow. Please do not take any risks by keeping this information from us. We want all guests to enjoy their experience and wouldn’t want anyone to put their health at risk.

Abuse to staff will not be tolerated, and we have the right to cancel/refuse bookings if we do not feel safe in permitting abusive customers in the aircraft. Examples include, but are not limited to: shouting at staff, swearing, violence and threatening behaviour.

If you are not local and are booking a hotel, please bear in mind that the flight is subject to weather and operational availability and therefore we advise you to book refundable hotel rooms.

Cancellations/Weather/Operations/Restrictions:

Flights are subject to availability, and we apologise in advance if there is no availability on a specific date that you had in mind. We do also advise that as the flight is subject to cancellations, it is better not to schedule it for a special occasion as we would not like your whole day to be ruined!

Our cancellation policy is strictly 7 days. This also applies if you would like to amend your booking.

We may have to cancel and reschedule your flight due to poor weather conditions, operational issues or air traffic restrictions. The pilot will usually try to make a decision on whether the tour will go ahead the day before the flight based on the weather forecast. As it is a forecast, the actual weather may be different. However, once a flight has been cancelled due to the forecast, that decision is final. In some cases, the weather may deteriorate on the day of your flight even if it is forecast to be clear skies. Therefore, please understand that flights may be cancelled at short notice (on the day) as we cannot predict the weather. We have certain legal limits that we must follow in regards to things such as cloud base, visibility and wind speed. Just because it is clear sunshine does not mean it is suitable flying weather.

If your flight is cancelled on the day we will either contact you on the number you have provided or send you an email. It is your responsibility to check your email/texts, as well as your spam/junk folder.

If you are concerned about the weather and haven’t heard from us then please call 0208 953 0584 before making your way to the airfield.

As the voucher was purchased knowing that this is a weather dependent activity, we may not be able to authorise a refund if your flight is cancelled unless otherwise agreed with a member of staff.

Your flight may also be cancelled at short notice if the aircraft becomes unserviceable or if there are operational airspace restrictions around the London flying zone. This is always beyond our control and we would only cancel your flight if it was deemed necessary for safety.

Scheduled flight/take-off times may be amended slightly closer to the date to fit in with operational requirements. You will be informed of this at the earliest possible convenience.

Flight duration includes start-up, shutdown, taking-off and landing. The flight duration is subject to Air Traffic Control and weather conditions therefore they are approximate in length.

Aviation has many variables, most of which are out of our control. We respectfully ask that you are understanding of this fact as this may be the reason for any delays incurred on the day of your flight.

We appreciate that you will be eager to board the aircraft but please do pay attention during the safety briefing and follow all instructions. It’s important that you follow the ground crew to remain safe whilst airside. The airfield is constantly being used by other light aircraft and helicopters – please watch where you are going at all times. VVB Aviation Services Ltd accepts no responsibility for damage or injury that does not result from our negligence.

Under UK aviation law, the pilot has the right to remove passengers from the flight/refuse boarding if they are acting in such a way that is a concern for safety (e.g. violent, intoxicated, disruptive, abusive etc). In such cases, you will forfeit your voucher.

We reserve the right to conduct any necessary security checks prior to you boarding the flight. If you do not comply with this, we may not allow you to fly. We may also be required to pass over your information to national security agencies, such as (but not limited to) the police.

Vouchers etc.:

Vouchers must be redeemed / booked before their expiry date. Failure to do so will result in the voucher becoming void and refunds will not (and can not) be issued.

The images that we use for promotional purposes are solely for an indication, and may differ from what you see on the day.

Purchasing Photographs:

Photographs may be taken of you outside the aircraft and on sale after your flight. Photos are stored securely on our system and may be used for promotional purposes. If you do not consent to us using your photos, then please make this clear at the time of check in. Photos may be on sale in different formats (e.g. USB, printed etc), and pricing is subject to change. The cost for photos purchased is non-refundable.

Extra Information:

In exceptional circumstances we may allow an exemption on the 7 day cancellation notice period; however we believe that in most cases it is unfair for us to pay the cost of flying with empty seats if a booking is cancelled at short notice. If you are exempt, then you will only be able to rebook onto a weekday flight (due to demand) and, if applicable, you will lose your weekend upgrade fee. If you book a flight knowing that you have an illness that may cause you to cancel at short notice, we are unfortunately not able to offer to reschedule your flight. We may, however, allow your existing booking to be transferred to someone of your choice if weight and other operational factors permit, and depending on the amount of notice that we receive.

If you have an issue with anything on the day then please let us know whilst you are at VVB and we can try to sort it out. We take pride in the customer support that we offer, and we would not want you to leave feeling as though you have not enjoyed your experience. We believe that it is unreasonable if you take no action on the day but then make a complaint at a later date.

We do not store credit card details, nor do we share customer details with any third parties unless they are hired by us to conduct functions on our behalf.

Examples of these functions include fulfilling orders, delivering packages, sending letters and emails, analysing data, providing marketing assistance. Such companies and individuals will have access to personal information needed to perform these functions, but will not use it for any other purposes, and are required to process the data in accordance with the UK’s Data Protection legislation.

We will not sell any customer information to a third party.

For training and quality control, we sometimes listen to and record telephone calls & messages.

By writing a review of VVB Aviation, you agree to let us publish/share your review online using other websites or social media platforms. We may need to edit it for clarity or typing errors. We will not give out your full name, but may use part of it (e.g. Initials).

All the above terms and conditions apply as a condition of making any booking and/or using any voucher, whether or not the voucher holder is the original purchaser. VVB reserves the right to change these terms occasionally without directly informing customers. These terms and conditions do not affect your statutory rights as a consumer, and are governed by and in accordance with English law.